A family from the western part of the state is heart broken after their puppy was stolen when they were visiting downtown Detroit on Friday.
Alvin and Olga Smelik brought their daughter Celine to see Sam Smith in concert at Little Caesar’s Arena on Friday.
They live about 40 minutes north of Grand Rapids.
They knew it was going to be a long day, so they decided to take their 5-pound Coco along for the ride.
After dropping off their daughter Celine at the concert, Alvin and Olga began driving around with the Yorkie/Chihuahua mix.
Less than two hours in Detroit they decided to take Coco for a walk near Watson and Woodward.That’s when they noticed a restaurant and decided to leave Coco in their locked car to grab a bite to eat.
“Friday night it was cool," Alvin said. "It was rainy. It was no problem.”
When the family returned to their car, they realized someone had broken in and the 10-month-old puppy was missing.
“The lock set was punctured and it was broken," Alvin said. "And that’s how they got in that car. It was very deliberate. We don’t know if somebody was watching us when we walked the dog, when we locked her up.”
The couple walked around looking for the dog and they called the police. Then they had to call their other daughter Veronica and give her the news.
“It was the worst ever phone call I had to make," Olga said. "I just didn’t think how I could tell her because it’s her dog really and I promised to take care of her. That’s what happened and now she is gone.”
Now that they’re back home, they are searching online for Coco just in case someone found her or is trying to sell her.
One distinct feature of the puppy – unlike most pure bred Yorkie’s — is that she has a long tail.
“She was really missed; she is missed," Alvin said. "It’s just sad.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the family by text at 616-821-0752.
